Before doing this activity you may need to read the text you will find at the end
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| Gapped text | Items |
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| I usually study ______________________ the afternoon and then relax ______________________ the evening | on / -- / at / -- / on / in / at / in |
| This used to be a small town, but ______________________ present it has 100,000 people. | at the / in the / at / in / on / -- |
| Yes, we can go to Italy in June, I'm ______________________ holiday | on / -- / in / at |
| I think I'll stay at home ______________________ this weekend | -- / on / in / at |
| This year I have to work ______________________ Easter Wednesday | on / at / -- / in |
| He always phone people ______________________ dinner time | -- / in / on / at |
| I don't work ______________________ Sundays | -- / at / in / on |
| There was a beautiful mass ______________________ Easter morning | at / in / on / -- |
| ______________________ Saturday nights we usually go dancing to the disco | -- / In / On / At |
| All the family got together for dinner ______________________ Christmas Day | on / at / in / -- |
| She was born ______________________ January the 6th | on / -- / in / at |
| Nocturnal animals go out ______________________ night | in the / on / onthe / in / at / -- / at the |
| We have spaghetti ______________________ every Tuesday | at / -- / in / on |
| I think she is free ______________________ Friday afternoon | at / on / -- / in |
| Things were different ______________________ past, now we have more hospitals. | at the / at / -- / in / in the / in / on the / on |
| They told me now I have to work ______________________ weekends too | in / -- / at / on |
| You can come and visit ______________________ my birthday, we're having a big party | on / in / -- / at |
| He drove back home ______________________ night, when the party finished | on / on the / at / in the / at the |
| Do you think you will still live here ______________________ future? | -- / on / at / on the / at the / in / in the |
| ______________________ Christmas we spent three days in Munich | At / In / On / -- |
| Don't come ______________________ the morning, I'm at work. | in / at / -- / on |
| ______________________ the weekend I usually stay at home and relax (British English) | On / -- / In / At |
| I saw David ______________________ last week in the street | at / in / -- / on |
| Call me up ______________________ about 5 o'clock | -- / in / on / at |
| We can go to the cinema ______________________ next Wednesday if you like | at / -- / in / on |
Memorise this rule:
At a time, On a day, In a period
AT a time (times: 10 o'clock, 5:30, etc.)
ON a day (days and dates: Monday, Thanksgiving, the 5th of June, etc.)
IN a period (periods of time: week, month, year, 4 hours, morning, etc.)
EXCEPTIONS
1- We say "in the morning", "in the afternoon", "in the evening", but: "at night". The expression "in the night" means "during one particular night". Compare:
- Don't go out at night, it can be dangerous
- We slept in a tent, but I woke up in the night and could only sleep two hours
2- at the weekend / at weekends (AmE: on the weekend)
3- on holiday
4- ON + day + part of the day
- I went there on Monday morning
- Come with us on Saturday night
- We get our presents on Christmas morning
5- We say: In the past, in the future, but... at present
6- Christmas, Easter and other long holidays use On for the day but AT for all the period
- Come and see us on Christmas Day (December 25)
- I stayed at home at Christmas (all my Christmas holidays)
- We're going to Zamora at Easter
- What are you doing on Easter Monday?
Note: when talking about Dec 25, American people say "on Christmas" or (less often) "on Christmas Day", but in British English we only say "on Christmas Day".
"At Easter" is the same as "In the Holy Week" (less often). "On Easter" is the same as "on Easter Sunday". For the other days of Easter we must specify: on Easter Monday, etc.
When we say next, last, this, every we do not use at, in, on.
I went to Paris last summer (not: in last summer)
I'm starting my holidays next Saturday (not: on next Saturday)
I go home every Easter (not: at every Easter)
We'll call you this afternoon (not: in this afternoon)
